16 Days Of Activism Against Gender Violence

The 16 Days Of Activism Against Gender Violence run from November 25th to December 10th. I always mean to start writing something about this on November 25, but as always, this year I run late. I run late because this time of the year, this close to the `Holiday Season', I struggle with the reality of my life and what my family denied me and stole from me, because I was a child, a girl, with a disability.

I have written a number of posts on this blog about my family and how they treated me as a child, a teenager, a young woman. I have given presentations to various groups in real life on what I went through. I have worked on commitees and contributed to resources about domestic violence and people with disabilities. I live independently and have as much control over my day to day life as anyone in my situation can. I escaped. I got out. But I still struggle with the loneliness, isolation, and betrayal as a result of a family and a community that saw me as less valuable and less worthy of love and support because of who and what I was. The effects of child abuse and domestic violence are long lasting, and affect who we become and what we contribute to the world. Some of us lose the fight to survive, and many of us live on the edge every day, fearing that one day it will become too much and we will also no longer be able to hold on. I struggle daily to keep going in a world that reinforces and perpetuates the violence and neglect that I suffered at the hands of my family.

It should never have been like this. But it is. And some days it is just too hard. Many of us will never have the life we deserve. It is long past time for the world to stand up and say, No, no more. All women should be safe and valued, no matter our race, ability, orientation, class or age.

Please click through to The Carnival Of 16 Days Of Activism Against Gender Violence for more posts on gender violence